The "Perfect" Burger

[RobertN]

I like a good grade of ground beef from one of the local butcher shops. Maybe a little sprinkle of salt/pepper. Same for steaks. If it is good meat, it should not need all kinds of flavoring to make it "better". Cooked medium/medium rare; don't cook all the flavor out of it.

Occasionally, will put the steak, burger, chicken etc in the little electric smoker with a pan of chips; cold smoke it just to add smoke flavor, and then on to grill.

Also like to do a whole chicken on the grill. Saw on Martha Stewart years ago; she trimmed the tail and backbone of the chicken so it could lay flat on the grill and cook evenly. That works great!

Back to original question...

I would grill a good grade ground beef patty, nice and thick, with a sprinkle of cracked pepper and sea salt. Saute some Walla Walla onion to put over top. While that is going, start a blackberry Dutch oven cobbler over coals Boy Scout campfire style(use Kingsford coals; they last best). Pour a nice Highwater Brewing "Campfire Stout".

If you're really good, plan ahead and make some homemade buns; much better than store bought. Homemade Mayo too; easy to make and much better than mass produced stuff out of jar. And getcha some nice ripe tomato's to slice.

 

[DFB]

One of the best "burgers" I had was a mint sausage recipe that came from Jim Zumbo/American Hunter. Recipe has pork mixed with venision but its easy enough to sub some ground sirlion for deer meat.

For a long time on the land it was camper/garden/gas grill living out of doors for me. My fav's were fresh sliced eggplant oiled and grilled and big Anahiem Chile peppers stuffed with cheese, oiled and roasted on the grill!

 

[Car Doc]

I will add this simple recipe also to a perfect burger or steak especially around a campfire-we take an onion and slice it up and put it in foil with butter and salt and pepper and soy sauce and wrap it. Set it on the grille off to the side and when all the other cooking is done the onion is too its a pretty tasty topping been a hit for years at camp cook outs.

 

[mjarrels]

No more burgers after today... the sky is falling... no more USDA inspectors... food shortages... no more FDA... lock your doors.

mark

 

[MasseyWV]

Largest Burger - Guinness World Record for Largest Burger - Delish.com

 

[Gunny]

Hey Massey, we're looking for the best one, not the biggest one.

 

[/pine]

A little known spice used by a lot of the best steak houses is "dry mustard"...it does not add any taste in itself to the meat but it really brings out the natural flavor of beef...works great on burgers too

 

[brin]

I will add this simple recipe also to a perfect burger or steak especially around a campfire-we take an onion and slice it up and put it in foil with butter and salt and pepper and soy sauce and wrap it. Set it on the grille off to the side and when all the other cooking is done the onion is too its a pretty tasty topping been a hit for years at camp cook outs.

Here in GA. we have Vidallia onions...real sweet and we take vidallia onions and take a scoop out of the core and peal them then just put butter and 1/2 tsp. of beef or chicken bullion paste into the hole in the core, wrap in foil as you described and wow is that good...

 

[/pine]

Here in GA. we have Vidallia onions...real sweet and we take vidallia onions and take a scoop out of the core and peal them then just put butter and 1/2 tsp. of beef or chicken bullion paste into the hole in the core, wrap in foil as you described and wow is that good...

If you really like onions a good Vidallia can be eaten like most people eat apples...

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Here's a recipe for one of the best burgers I have ever eaten; couldn't find the written recipe, so this is from memory:

2# hamburger (the fattier, the jucier)
1 package of Lipton's Beefy Onion or Onion-Mushroom soup
1/2 cup of canned, sliced mushrooms (optional)
Your favorite BBQ dry rub
Package of sliced, smoked Provolone Cheese.

Mix the hamburger, soup and mushrooms, by hand, in a mixing bowl.
Make the mixture into patties, according to your preference. I like a fairly thick patty; seems it comes out jucier.
Sprinkle the patties liberally with your favorite rub;
cook on the grill...I use a Weber, charcoal grill and add some Mesquite, Pecan and Blackjack wood.
I hesitate to tell you how to cook them, because hamburgers are the hardest thing for me to cook on the grill. I like a medium heat; about 10 minutes on a side, to get them medium, but you got to watch them.

after they have been turned for about 5 minutes or so, I place a slice of the cheese on top of each patty and take the buns and place them open side down on the grill. Watch. I take the buns up first, and make the burger when I take them up.

Enjoy